You can appreciate the floating nature of laminate flooring best when you have to remove it because disassembling the boards is essentially the reverse of putting them together. Although you may have to melt some sealant around the edges, there's no need to remove nails or glue. One important caution is that working too quickly, without regard for the fragile parts of the boards that lock together, can result in damage and wasted boards. You'll encounter your biggest challenge when removing the first row of flooring. After that's gone, the rest of the job should go without a hitch.

1

Pry off the baseboards with a pry bar. Tap the nails out of the baseboards or pull them out of the wall with a claw hammer. Number the baseboards and set them aside.

2

Start taking the floor apart in a corner of the room. Melt the sealant around the edges of the board, if there is any, with a heat gun. Nudge the corner board lengthwise toward the wall by hitting the surface at an angle with a rubber mallet. Don't worry about scuffing the surface because the scuff marks will come off, but don't tap hard enough to make a dent.

3

Tap the board toward the perpendicular wall once it has separated from the board to which it was connected lengthwise. Lift it off the floor.

4

Melt any sealant on the edges of the rest of the boards in the first row and tap them toward the wall in the same way. You should be able to unhook them end to end by lifting the free end of a board off the floor and pulling.

5

Disassemble the rest of the floor board by board by lifting the free edge of a board and pulling on it. When it unsnaps, lift the free end and pull on that until it unsnaps. Lift the edge of the board no higher than 18 inches off the ground to avoid damaging the tongues or grooves of the boards.

6

Melt sealant around doorways and cabinets using the heat gun before you remove the boards there. You may also have to cut through some caulk with a utility knife. Melt the sealant on the edges of the boards in the last row before you lift them out.

Things You Will Need

Pry bar

Claw hammer

Heat gun

Rubber mallet

Utility knife

Tips

The boards are easier to unsnap if you're pulling on the side that has the groove. An inspection of the edges after you remove the baseboards will tell you which way the boards are oriented and, thus, on which side of the floor to begin disassembly.

Use the rubber mallet whenever you don't have enough room to lift the edge of a board.

Warning

Avoid prying the boards apart with a screwdriver or pry bar. You can easily damage the surface of one of the boards.

About the Author

Chris Deziel has a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in humanities. Besides having an abiding interest in popular science, Deziel has been active in the building and home design trades since 1975. As a landscape builder, he helped establish two gardening companies.